I started playing online last May, 2020. I am almost exclusively a DM/GM with over 30 years experience. One of the differences I've found between online vs face to face is that I have experienced a lot more player turnover playing online. I don't know if other DM's have experienced the same thing or not. The first thing I did, was blame myself. My game must not be good enough to keep their attention. However, after talking with players, including asking departing players for honest critique, I found the opposite. It wasn't the game, it was just life getting in the way. Our group plays at kind of an odd time/day. So when I first began recruiting, I would take anyone that applied on a first come, first served bases. However, as we suffered through a lot of turnover, I realized I needed to be a little more selective in how I was recruiting for new players--keeping in mind that I, as DM, am looking for a core group of consistent players. I like to build epic story lines that feature character backstories in the main plotline. It's difficult to do that with high turnover. In short, developing a consistent group of players is very important to me. So I adjusted my recruiting style and have become a little more selective in players I choose to add to the table. Some of the things I, personally, am looking for (Posted in the hopes this helps other players looking for their own groups):
1. Someone that gives me an idea of their experience level with the game and Fantasy Grounds. I love to have new players, but if I know the applicants experience level, it shapes the conversation moving forward.
2. If you ask me what the other group members are playing, it sends me a message that you are willing to be a team player.
3. Tell me a little about yourself. I'm not asking for a biography here, but game related info. What types of games do you like, what type of character do you enjoy playing. What's your favorite setting...etc.
4. If you were to fill out the templet presented here:
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...Group-Listings, as far as I'm concerned you'd be a step up above everyone else.
Once I have picked a candidate, I ask them for a time to jump onto discord and have a chat. This is where I go over the campaign world, talk about our house rules and kind of give an abbreviated synopsis of what we're doing in the campaign right now. This is really the best opportunity for me as GM and the player to get a feel for each other. It's just as much about the player determining if s/he fits into our game as it is about us looking at the player for a match. If this session goes well for both of us, I'll offer the prospective player a seat at the table.